East of center
Current location: Ohio, United States.
Ohioans refer to their state as the "heart of America." If you look at a map, Ohio is actually kind of heart-shaped, and its location in the U.S. is about where a heart would be - above the middle, just east of center.
Growing up in Michigan, I knew exactly two things about Ohio: it has a lot of truck stops (Ohio's central location makes it a hub for interstate commerce), and it's where the amusement park Cedar Point is located. Michiganders love Cedar Point. A trip to Cedar Point with friends is almost a rite of passage for Michigan teenagers, because it's the farthest our parents would let us drive by ourselves. I've even seen maps of the United States from a Michigander's point of view that label the entire state of Ohio as "Cedar Point." (For the record, these same maps label Michigan's Upper Peninsula as "Heaven" and the Lower Peninsula "God's high-five to Earth.")
You might wonder why I'm in Ohio, considering, well, there's no ocean here. You're right, there's not much saltwater to go around, but the state of Ohio currently holds something even more precious: my parents. They moved one state south after my siblings and I had all finished high school, so I'm spending some of my time in limbo at their homestead.
One of the many reasons I'm excited for my upcoming fellowship in Massachusetts is that for the first time since 2011, I will live just a day's drive from my parents. Actually, it'll be the first time since 2011 that we'll be on the same time zone. My parents are an incredible support system, so I'm excited to be a bit closer to them geographically.
Close to the heart, east of center.
Ohioans refer to their state as the "heart of America." If you look at a map, Ohio is actually kind of heart-shaped, and its location in the U.S. is about where a heart would be - above the middle, just east of center.
Growing up in Michigan, I knew exactly two things about Ohio: it has a lot of truck stops (Ohio's central location makes it a hub for interstate commerce), and it's where the amusement park Cedar Point is located. Michiganders love Cedar Point. A trip to Cedar Point with friends is almost a rite of passage for Michigan teenagers, because it's the farthest our parents would let us drive by ourselves. I've even seen maps of the United States from a Michigander's point of view that label the entire state of Ohio as "Cedar Point." (For the record, these same maps label Michigan's Upper Peninsula as "Heaven" and the Lower Peninsula "God's high-five to Earth.")
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| No ocean in Ohio, but my parent's town has plenty of rivers. So pretty! |
One of the many reasons I'm excited for my upcoming fellowship in Massachusetts is that for the first time since 2011, I will live just a day's drive from my parents. Actually, it'll be the first time since 2011 that we'll be on the same time zone. My parents are an incredible support system, so I'm excited to be a bit closer to them geographically.
Close to the heart, east of center.
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